Tunbridge board reviews volunteer waiver and recommends road crew lead contentious trail clearing

The selectboard discussed a draft waiver and release for volunteers who participate in trail or orchard clearing and weighed whether the town should dispatch its road crew to handle difficult work at Orchard Trail because of a potentially litigious landowner. A board member who reviewed the waiver proposed changes that would protect volunteers while ensuring the town assumes responsibility for work that is part of an official town activity.

One participant suggested the waiver should make the volunteer responsible for personal equipment and that indemnification should sit with the volunteer organization for routine volunteer-caused harm while the town retains responsibility for official work. "The changes that I suggested . . . tries to switch it around so that the, you know, the volunteers are responsible for themselves and their stuff," the participant said. Several members argued for having the road crew perform the initial clearing, with volunteers assisting in lower-risk tasks, and to avoid opening a wider motorized access that could encourage ATVs or side-by-sides.

The board directed staff to consult statutory protections for municipal volunteers and to have the trails committee prepare a revised waiver and an operational plan that includes road-crew participation for the initial clearing.